Oil-purifying apparatus for hydrocarbon engines



J.A. WATSON. OIL PURIFYING APPARATUS FOR HYDROCARBON ENGINES. I1,431,347.

APPLICATION FILED OCT I6, |92()vl Patented' oct. 110,1922.

Patented @et 10, i922.

sra

JAMES A. WATSON, OF SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND.

OIL-PURIFYING A PPARATUs, Fon HYDRocARBoN ENGINES.

Application led Octobre-1F16, 1920. Serial No. 417,478.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES A. WATSON, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at Silver Spring, Montgomery County, State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Purifying Ap'paratus for Hydrocarbon Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

It is commonly known that the lubricating oil of hydrocarbon enginesrapidly deteriorates by reason of the admixture of gasoline and waterwhich leaks by the pistons from the combustion chambers. The water ischiefly produced by condensation of the burned ases, especially when theer;v gine is cold. 'Ihe gasoline is sometimes entrained with theexplosive mixture and carried in liquid condition into the c lindersyand sometimes it condenses out of t e mixture when the engine is coldin starting. Vhen a cylinder is not firing a part of the gasolinepassing. through runs down its walls by the piston into the crank case.The result of the mixture of gasoline and water with lubricating oil istliatwthe oil becomes' too thin for lubricating purposes and if notfrequently replaced with newv oil injury to 'the bearings is likely toresult.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whichwill continuously tend to remove water, gasoline, or other more or lessvolatile fluids from the oil, and preferably an apparatus which willoperate automatically and continuously at all times when the engine isrunning. It is well known that Water and gasoline will evaporate rapidlywhen exposed to a vacuum or to reduced atmospheric pressure, and in theapparatus embodying the present invention the oil, preferably in theform of spray, is subjected to a vacuum or to reduced pressure, whichcauses the more volatile portions to evaporate and pass to the pump orother means for creating the vacuum, the heavy oil being returned to thecrank case or other reservoir or directly to the bearings of the engine,as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawingl I have illustrated an embodiment of theinvention, but it will be understood that the details of constructionmay be changed in various respects.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagram of a hydrocarbon v the plates 19.

engine with the thereto; 7

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the tank in which the separation of thevolatile impurities from the lubricating oil is effected;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the twoway valve illustrated in Figure2; and

Figure 4 is a detail of the valve operating lever.

In the drawing 10 indicates a hydrocarbon engine 11 the exhaust pipe, 12the intake pipe or manifold. 13 the throttle valve, 14 the carbureterand 15 the crank case.

The separating tank A, in which the vola'- tile impurities are withdrawnfrom the oil, should be air-tight but may be of any de sired size andshape and located lat any convenient point with respect to the engine.It `is preferably located above or higher than the crank case so that.the purified oil may return to theoiling system by gravity The tank A,as shown comprises upper and lower sections 16, 17 separably connectedat 18. Within the upper section are a series of perforated plates 19through which the oil percolates while subjected to a vacuum or reducedpressure. Any other present apparatus applied suitable means forexposing a irge surface.

of oil to the vacuum may be substituted for The oil coming from thecrank case or other part of the oiling system through the pipe 20 isdischarged from the nozzlel 21 on to the plates 19 and percolatesthrough to the oat compartment 22 from which it is periodically returnedto the oiling system.

In the operation of the apparatus the oil passing through the separatingchamber A is alternately subjected to atmospheric and subatmosphericpressure. Subatmospheric pressure or partial vacuum is most convenientlycreated by connecting the chamber A with the intake 12 of the engineabove the throttle valve, as by means of the conduit 23. Air isperiodically admitted to the chamber-A through a conduit 24 and the airis lpreferably heated which is conveniently effected by connecting theconduit 24 with a stove7 or casing 25 associated with the exhaust pipe11. The conduits 23 and 24, as shown, are alternately placed incommunication with the interior of the. chamber A by means of athree-way valve 26 and a common upturned branch pipe 27 opening into theupper part of the chamber to prevent oil from being sucked intoy theintake ofthe engine. The valve may be constructed as shown in Figure 3,and operated by the arm 28 as shown in Figure 2. The arm is in linewithprojections 29, 30, on the stem of a ioat 31 so that when the floatrises air Will be' admitted and When it falls the air will be cut offand the chamber will be put in communication with the intake' and theair will be rapidly exhausted and a partial vacuum created in thechamber.

The chamber A has an outlet 32 provided with a suitable check valve 33.When the valve is open the oil in the chamber A Will flow back to theoiling system through the return pipe 34.

The oil is preferably heated to promote rapid evaporation of thevolatile impurities in the separating chamber and it may conveniently beheated by means of the engine exhaust,'as by the coil 35 forming part ofthe oil conduit 20. There is alsov preferably included in the conduit 20a strainer 36 to take solid impurities from the oil and prevent themfrom clo ging the perforated plates 19, and a chec valve 37 to preventthe pipe 20 from emptying by gravity each time the vacuum is broken.

It is Well known that the lubricating oil in hydrocarbon engines becomesdiluted through the admixt-ure of gasoline and water to such extent thatit is often unfit for lubricating purposes and the engine bearings aresometimes destroyed for lack of proper lubrication While there isabundant fluid in the lubricating system. This deterioration of the oilin some engines is so marked that the makers recommend renewing the oilsupply for every five hundred miles of travel. One of the objects of thepresent invention is to maintain the oil free from impurities and t-husprolong its usefulness with resulting economy and protection to theengine bearings.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

vWhen the oil level in the float chamber 22 is 10W, the valve 26 will beturned so as to cut off the air connection 24 and open communicationbetween the separating tank A and the exhaust pipe 23. The air in theseparating chamber will be quickly exhausted and the atmosphericpressure on the oil in the oiling system will cause the oil to iow ithrough the pipe 2O on to the perforated plates 19. As shown in thedrawing, it will be preferable to heat the oil to facilitate theevaporation of volatile impurities such as Water and gasoline and tostrain the oil in its passage to the separating tank. Heating the oilbefore passing through the strainer will very much reduce its viscosityand facilitate straining out sediment. The oil will pei-colate throughthe perforated plates 19. thus exposing al large surface to th(l actionof the vacuum and the volatile impurities will vaporize and be drawn upthrough the exhaust pipe 23. As shown the exhaust pipe leads to theintake of the engine above the throttle valve and the engine, acting asa pump Will produce the necessary partial vacuum. It is Well known ofcourse that the vacuum in the receiving chamber Will cause the valve 33to remain closed by virtue of atmospheric pressure on the outside of thevalve and the oil will accumulate in the compartment 22 raising thefloat 31.

When the oil has accumulated to a certain amount the float will shiftthe lever 28 cutting off communication between the interior of theseparating chamber and the exhaust pipe 32'and opening communicationwith the air pipe 24. Hot dry air from the air heating device 25 Willrush into the separating chamber and increase the pressure thereinwhereupon the valve 33 will open and the oil will flow out and back tothe oiling system through pipe 34; quite rapidly. While the oil isdischarging through pipe 34, the flow of oil through the pipe a0 willtemporarily cease and the oil Will be held stationary in the pipe 20 bymeans of the check valve 3'?. Whenv the oil level falls suiiciently incompartment 22,'the valve 26 will be again shifted to cutoff the air andopen communication with the exhaust pipe and the oil will again flow inthrough the pipe 20. The orifices and pipes may be so proportioned thatthe oil will flow into the apparatus slowly and flow out rapidly so Lthat the apparatus will function during a large proportion of the timein separating the volatile impurities from t-he oil.

It will be apparent that the apparatus will operate automatically andindefinitely without attention, and as the oiling system of the averageautomobile engine contains of but from one to two gallons of oil. theentire amount of oil present will pass through the apparatus during afew miles of travel and many times during a days ruiming. The oil willthus be kept free from Water, gasoline and other volatile impurities.The efficiency of the oil as a lubricating medium Will be maintained,thus protecting the bearings, and the life of the oil will he greatlyprolonged with a proportionate saving of expense.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured Y by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a hydrocarbon engine of means for purifying theoil of the lubricating system of the engine comprising a separatingchamber, a float in said chamber. means controlled by the iioat forcreating alternately atmospheric and suhatmospheric pressure therein. aconduit for conducting oil from the lubricating system into saidchamber. a check valve in said conduit. and

l a "valved outletor said chamber through which the oil is returned tothe lubricating system. y

2. The combination with a hydrocarbon engine of means for purifying theoil-o the lubricating system of the engine comprising a separatingchamber, means for heating air and alternately admitting heated air'toand exhausting air from said chamber, means for conducting oil from thelubricating system into said chamber, and a valved outlet for saidchamber through which the oil is returned to the lubricating system.

3. The combination with a hydrocarbon engine of means for purifying theoil in the lubricating system of the engine-comprising a separatingchamber, means for conducting -oil from the lubricating system into saidchamber, means for heating the oi1, means for alternately admittingheated air to and exhausting the air from said chamber, and means forconducting the oil from said chamber back to the lubricating system.

4. The combination with a hydrocarbon engine of means for purifying theoil of the lubricating system of the engine comprising a separatingchamber, means for passing the lubricating oil through said chamber andmeans for alternately admitting heated air to said chamber andexhausting the air therefrom, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atl-ix my signature.

JAMES A. WATSON.

